Arietes
by semperbrevis
Summary: Basically a fic based on what would happen if Shikamaru had bothered to pick up his pencil for tests. Rated T mostly for language.


**Chapter One**

I was five when I learned how to climb trees.

Not climbing the normal way, but using chakra.

I had seen someone doing it; a genin, probably, who had just mastered the technique, and was using it as much as possible in elation at his achievement.

I had wondered how it was done, and so asked my father. He said it was by concentrating chakra at the bottom of your feet. He said it was a good way to practice chakra control. If you used to little, you wouldn't be able to stick to the tree, and if you used too much you'd be pushed away.

And so I tried it.

It took a while for me to master, since I'd only just become aware of the fact that chakra even _existed,_ but I kept at it until I was able to do it.

My father was impressed with the fact that I'd been able to learn it on my own, and so taught me how to walk on water.

Walking on water, I found, was more difficult than tree-walking, and it took me a few days to master it.

After I got bored of that, I asked my father to teach me something new.

My father then, realizing I had much potential, began teaching me the Academy jutsu.

I had mastered them all within three weeks, and, when I turned eight, I entered the Academy like others my age.

Although I was given the offer to skip quite a few grades and graduate early, I didn't.

My father believed it was important for me to be around others my age, even if I was a prodigy.

After all, Itachi Uchiha had graduated when he was seven, and look what happened to him.

Pretty much every child prodigy had been messed up, and my father didn't want me to turn out that way, so he kept me in Academy with others my age.

My father taught me other techniques seperately, and when I was nine he began teaching me the Shadow Imitation Technique.

I was very excited to learn it, but it took me almost two months before I was able to completely master it.

Meanwhile, I was very bored in Academy.

I already knew pretty much everything I was being taught, so I spent most of the time napping.

Even so, I was top of the class, with Sasuke Uchiha in second.

He wasn't very happy about that, but he could go sulk in his emo corner for all I cared.

When I wasn't practicing, I spent most of my time with my childhood friends, Ino and Choji, (I usually wouldn't have been friends with Ino, but our families spent a lot of time together, and I soon learned that she wasn't so bad, when she wasn't fawning over Sasuke) Naruto also joined our friend group a bit later on.

Most of the adults seemed to hate Naruto, though I wasn't sure why at the time.

Most kids at Academy disliked him too, especially Sakura.

He, however, had a crush on said kunoichi.

I really had no idea why.

I don't want to say I hated Sakura, but I definitely strongly disliked her.

She used to be friends with Ino, but they split up because they both like Sasuke. It didn't make any sense to me. Literally all the girls our age in Konoha liked Sasuke (except Hinata), and Sakura didn't have a problem with them. But, as soon as she found out Ino like Sasuke, she declared them rivals and cut ties with Ino.

It all seemed pretty stupid to me, but Sasuke was like a national treasure to girls.

Anyway, Ino tried to make friends with Sakura a few times again, but Sakura didn't want anything to do with it, and so started calling her Ino-pig.

So Ino retaliated and started calling her billboard-brow.

And they launched off into a full out rivalry.

I just mostly tried to stay out of their way.

Anyway, aside from that stupid Sasgay-drama, life at the Academy went pretty smoothly and, when I was twelve, I graduated, just like everyone else.

* * *

"Team One: Hiromu, Masashi, and Yusuke, with Shuuichi as their sensei!" Iruka-sensei called out. "Team Two: Kazue, Atsushi, and Yoshihiro with Yana as their sensei! Team Three: Hiro, Akira, and Naoko with Natsuki as their sensei! Team Four: Bisco, Gosho, and Eiichiro with Naoshi as their sensei! Team Five: Mitsuro, Reki, and Adachitoka, with Ryogo as their sensei! Team six: Hideaki, Ichiro, and Naotaka with Keisuke as their sensei! Team Seven: Sasuke, Sakura," (here there were many groans from the girls who weren't lucky enough to be with Sasuke, and a delighted scream from Sakura)"And Shikamaru!"

I held back a groan_._ I was with the emo Uchiha?

And, to make it worse, Sakura, the most useless ninja I'd ever seen.

I didn't pay attention to any of the other teams, though my attention was grabbed when Iruka said Choji's name.

"Team Ten!" Iruka called out. "Choji, Ino, and Naruto!"

I did wish I had been put on the same team as my friends, but I was glad Naruto was on a team where the people didn't hate him.

* * *

An hour.

We'd been waiting an hour.

Of course, I hadn't expected anything less from Kakashi.

My dad had told me plenty of stories about the notorious lateness of the masked ninja.

But still, an hour?

With Sakura and Sasgay?

Sakura had just been staring at duck-ass hair for the entire time, trying to engage him in conversation.

I had mostly just been staring at the ceiling, bored, but had taken a brief moment to wonder why Sakura thought Sasgay would ever fall for someone like her.

And then finally, _finally,_ the door opened, revealing none other than the copy-nin himself.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Screeched Sakura.

I covered my ears.

"Well, you see, I got lost on the road of life."

Ah. The Kakashi-excuses. My father had also told me plenty about those.

Sakura blinked.

"Anyway, meet me up on the roof in five minutes," Said Kakashi, and disappeared.

I rolled my eyes and got up from my chair, walking over to the window and jumping out. It'd be quicker just to walk up the side of the building. Besides, there was no way we'd be able to make it to the roof in five minutes by taking the stairs. They were on the other side of the building.

"Um, what are you doing?" Asked Sakura.

"What _you _should be doing." I replied. "There's no way we'll be able to make it to the roof in five minutes by using the stairs."

I started walking up the side of the building, but the other two decided instead to climb a tree.

I guessed they hadn't learned the wall-walking technique yet.

"Hello!" Said Kakashi, eye smiling when we arrived. "My fifth genin team! So cute! Now, let's get to know each other! Tell me your names, likes and dislikes, hobbies, and your dreams for the future."

"Wait a minute," Sakura interrupted as we all took a seat. "We don't know anything about you. Tell us about your likes and dislikes and stuff first."

Kakashi shrugged. "I'm Kakashi Hatake." He said. "My likes and dislikes... I don't feel like telling you that... My hobbies... I have lots of hobbies... My dreams for the future... never really thought about it."

I raised an eyebrow. He was good.

"How 'bout you go first," He said, pointing to Sakura. "My name is Sakura Haruno," She began. "My likes are..." She blushed while glancing as Sasgay. "My dislikes are Naruto." She said disgustedly, blush disappearing. I frowned. There was no reason to dislike Naruto that much. Sure he was a bit annoying, but he was a good kid. "My hobbies are..." She blushed again, looking at Sasgay. "And my dreams for the future..." She blushed harder than ever.

I rolled my eyes. Honestly, how did someone like her get to be a ninja?

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Okay..." He said. "You next." He pointed at Sasgay.

Sasgay struck an emo pose. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha." He said emoly. "I don't particularly like anything. I dislike many things. What I have is not a dream because I will make it a reality. I will restore my clan and destroy a certain someone."

Destroy someone? Probably Itachi. It made sense, but I doubted Sasgay would ever have the skill to defeat someone like him.

Also he forgot to mention his hobbies.

"And you last," Said Kakashi, pointing to me. He didn't seem fazed by Sasgay's emoness.

"My name is Shikamaru Nara." I said. "I like playing shogi and chess with my father, and training. I dislike people who judge based on appearances, and stuck up people who are full of themselves. My hobbies are the same as my likes. My dream for the future... I don't feel like sharing it."

To be honest, I wasn't completely sure what my dream for the future was. I knew I was a capable ninja, probably at about mid to high chunin level, but I hadn't really thought very far into the future. My goal had always been to complete whatever challenge my father had set for me. I guess I just wanted to be as good a ninja as I could be. It was certainly a better goal than Sakura or Sasgay.

Kakashi clapped his hands together. "Alright, then, that's all for today. Meet me at the third training ground at five tomorrow. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up."

And with that, he disappeared.

"I wonder what we'll have to do tomorrow," Gulped Sakura nervously.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but from what I've heard about Kakashi, it's gonna be hard. But worrying about it won't help anything."

Sakura sighed. "I guess you're right. Anyway, don't you think we should get to know each other better? Let's go out for ramen, Sasuke-kun!"

But her oh-so-sweet Sasgay-kun had already left.

"Oh." She said disappointedly.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, we can still go get ramen, even if that emo duck doesn't want to. I'll get Ino, Choji and Naruto too."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL SASUKE-KUN?!" She shouted, but I had already jumped off the roof to go find team ten.

* * *

**A/N- Well, there's the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! R&R please!**

**Also, there's a slight easter egg with the names I chose for teams 1-6. **


End file.
